Advocare SPARK: a review

hi hi! :)

Oh... I thought I would make a VLOG (my very first one!) about this, but I tried it and I felt like an IDIOT! hahaha :) So, here I am, writing about it. How booooooooooring, to write on my BLOG, you say!? I agree. Maybe Olivia will make a VLOG with me on our vacation. CHECKING IN! :) woowoo!

Anyway, down to the business! I won some SPARK samples from my bffffffff beth over at The Fit Wife Life (if you don't follow her, do it!). She sent me cherry, tropical punch, and mandarin orange. I tried the tropical punch this morning, but instead of mixing it with only 8oz of water, I mixed it with 24. Why? I had already had 2 cups of coffee and I was going to the gym.... to run! :) It was nice to sip on. I drank about 8oz before I ever started running, and then had a few sips during the run. Which was only 2 miles, btw, because my KNEE HURTS SO BAD! :( sad face!

I didn't really feel super caffeinated (although SPARK does boast more caffeine than redbull... which I don't drink anymore). I will go ahead and say that is because I had two cups of coffee prior to drinking this. BUT I did notice that by the 2 mile mark I wasn't praying to the sweet Lord for mercy. Which is usually how it goes for me. Or at least for the time to pass faster. I think I could have banged out my first ever 4 mile run non-stop today... had my knee not been such a weenie. I am going to go ahead and attribute that to the SPARK drink.

I will try it one day without coffee. Maybe one of the days next week while we are in the hotel, and the coffee provided in the room isn't cutting it. Oh, and there won't be any fancy creamer, either. Yeah. :)

The tropical punch flavor was super yummy, and I'd like to say I'll order some to have around. It probably won't be an every day thing (I am really, really a coffee addict)... but its something that I can see myself using once or twice a week.. especially if I don't get to work out until the afternoon.

Beth sells advocare, so if you have any questions or comments (or want to order!) you should definitely do it from her. :)

Foodie Pen Pals!!

Yay! I am so excited to be able to write this post! :) This was my first time to ever participate (even though I've been stalking FPP via twitter for a while!).

My package came all the way from WISCONSIN, from the lovely Kris. My mother in law was at my house when it arrived, and it was really fun to open it with her and check out all the goodies!

I love that she included a little magazine with information about where she lives! :) Reading & eating at the same time is my guilty pleasure! :) 

These things are delicious!

My 7 year old was *so* excited for this. She loves honey on EVERYTHING.

*happy grill dance* Perfect for spring grilling!

And this.. a great companion for my chobani!! <3

Thank you so much KRIS! I love everything I received and I appreciate you taking the time to put the package together!!

If you would like to participate in the Foodie Pen Pal program, you can sign up at The Lean Green Bean Blog!

WOOHOO sprouts!

All day long, I have been craving brussel sprouts! That is *so* weird.. because I've only ever eaten them one other time in my life! And.. they were good, but not just oh so scrumptious, you know?

So tonight I decided to whip up my own sprout recipe, something a little more to my liking than the one I used before (I found it via Tone It Up!). I used pine nuts, just like the TIU recipe did, but I omitted a little and added a little. Bottom line: this is a SUPER easy peasy recipe and something that I really enjoyed!

You will need:
Brussel Sprouts, cut into quarters
Pepperoncini (I had to google how to spell that one) Peppers + some of their juice
Olive Oil (or try coconut oil for a little sweet/spicy taste!)
Crushed Red Pepper
Garlic Powder (or freshly chopped garlic- I was out!)
Raw Pine Nuts

Line a casserole dish with tin foil, spray with organic no stick spray. Then arrange your quartered sprouts and drizzle with 1tbsp (give or take) olive oil. Next, cut a tiny hole in your peppers and squeeze the juice over the sprouts (I also poured some from the jar onto my sprouts, I love the flavor!). Dice your peppers and sprinkle over the sprouts, seeds too. Then sprinkle the red pepper, pine nuts, and garlic over them as well. Bake on 350 for about 20 minutes (or 400 for 14ish minutes), then turn your oven on the highest broil setting for 2 minutes. This will make the sprouts a little crispy (you can skip that, if you don't like them crispy!).

I paired mine with baked chicken (Garlic Mrs. Dash, poppy seeds, chia seeds, balsamic vinegar & a tiny bit of olive oil) & a salad.

before baking (the kids half had no red pepper and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese).

my delicious dinner!

Fun Food Friday

Hello, all! :) I wanted to start a weekly bento post on this blog.. for a while now! Anyway, today is day ONE and I'm excited to do it.

Fun Food Friday is a day where I will post the bento lunches I have made for Olivia (and Sophia, sometimes) throughout the week. I try to use Olivia's lunches to encourage her to eat healthy, without taking away all the "junk" or the excitement of special treats.

Black olives, mini crackers & pepperjack (cut with my funbites!), clementine, fresh pineapple

This one I actually made for my sister's husband- we all had lunch with Olivia at school Tuesday. kiwi with fruit leather stars, clementine, veggies & light ranch, mini bear & elephant cheese sandwiches, annie cheddar bunnies.

Apple, clementine, blueberries, salt and vinegar pop chips, annie bunnies, and a home-made oatmeal, nut & fruit cookie (recipe from my Grandma Connie)

cucumbers, kale chips, pineapple, guacamole with tomatoes, pb&co's white chocolate wonder mini sandwiches with blueberries on swords. easter candy.

Sharkie omega-3 gummy stick, cupcake marshmallows, nutella quesadilla, pineapple, gluten free pretzels and babybel, a few dried strawberries.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

The winner of the Lock & Lock mini is Corey @ Family Fresh Meals!!

Corey please email me your color preference (orange, green or pink) to kandipoirier @ gmail . com :) along with your shipping address!

Thank you so much for playing, everyone!!

5QF

Another round of 5 question friday, coming right up!

1. Where is your favorite vacation spot and why? This one is kind of hard. I really love going to Florida with my grandparents.. because well, any time I can spend with them is some of my favorite time. I love watching my Papaw do things with my kids that I remember (very vividly) him doing with me, as well. Like the year I got to watch him teach Olivia how to swim. In the same swimming area at the lake where he taught me. Anyway, other than Florida, I love St. Thomas USVI (enough that we are going to move there, if anyone ever buys our house... hint hint), and Paris. Oh, and Venice, Italy... Rome, Florence... anywhere in Italy!

2. What is your biggest guilty pleasure? Going to the gym. Wait, back that up. Paying for daycare for Soph so I can go to the gym. That, and all the tv I watch. You know, primetime tv is my best friend. Since the kids go to bed around 7/730... I get sooooo bored. And I'm all alone! So I just veg out to tv. When the desperate housewives are gone after this season- I will probably have to mourn the passing of my friends. One other guilty pleasure: Grace Hyde & Co. 

3. What is your favorite fashion trend right now? Or, in the past? Oh this is sooo hard. I am in love with the 60s fashion. Seriously. I wear jeans and t's a lot, because well- lets face it, I'm not leading an entirely glamourous life (all the time). You can't be that totally into it mom in heels and full make up. Well, I can't- if you can, I would love for you to teach me how! Simple, yet chic- embroidered sun dresses, tunics, laid back sandals, natural. I will probably look like a hippie all my life. And I'm totally ok with that. 

4. What are your spring break plans? Going to Florida with my Grandparents. :) 

5. What baby names do you hate? Anything spelled so stupid the poor kid won't be able to spell it until middle school. My name is not even spelled that wonky (Kandice instead of Candace) but I could never ever find anything with my name on it as a kid. And when you're in 2nd grade, that stuff is important.

A Week of Seuss

Hi there! Hello! How are you?! :) Well, I hope!

This week has been a week of fun and maybe a little bit of magic all around the world! It is the birthday week of the one and only Dr. Seuss! He was my favorite as a child, and I love that he is so widely celebrated for his creativity and heart! My daughters love him, and that makes me so happy!

This week at O's school they have had a Seuss themed day every day! For the last 2 months the 2nd grade has been rehearsing their "Seussical." Tonight was the big night and my sweet Olie was such a bright star! I loved getting to see her on stage, singing her heart out to little Seuss songs.

In honor of her Seussical this week I incorporated a theme from one of his books into lunch each day. With the exception of tomorrow... school has already been cancelled due to the impending storm threat! Here's to hoping everyone everywhere, but especially in the southeast stays safe tomorrow!

Monday: I woke up and only had about 20 minutes to get O up & ready for school and lunch made. So, pardon my green eggs and ham with a sloppy turkey & cheese border. haha. This lunch is brown rice (dyed with yellow food coloring to make it orange-y), egg whites cut into circles, tiny turkey circles colored green with food safe markers, and a little ham cut from a slice of provolone- again colored with food safe markers.

Pin It

Tuesday: A cat in the hat minus the cat! You see a salad in the larger container, a cheese (provolone) hat colored with food safe marker, and in the divided container more cheese with grapes, and pineapples.

Pin It

Wednesday: the LORAX! He's my favorite because he teaches children to value our planet. This is blue bow-tie pasta (I used Wilton cake gel dye), steamed French beans, and the Truffula trees & Lorax are made from cheese. His eyes are candy.

Pin It

Thursday: One fish two fish red fish blue fish! :) This is Olie's favorite Dr. Seuss book. She has a salad with goldfish, cheese numbers, red & blue fish (one boiled egg, halved), raw walnuts, 2 tagalong girl scout cookies, and a heart-shaped cupcake topper. 

Pin It

For more awesome Dr. Seuss lunches, hop on over to Emily at Bentobloggy!